String Of Fate
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: Nothing bad was going to happen to her tonight just because she had decided to go outside alone. That's what she'd told herself. [Spirits AU. Happy Halloween!].


**Alright, here's the deal. I wrote this fic back in the beginning of the year (probably February or so) and it was originally supposed to be posted back in June. But I decided to push it back until Halloween time, since this is the first time I'm writing for the horror genre in a RWBY fic. So long story short, I wrote this a _really_ long time ago and I can't speak for how good it is haha.**

 **Even so, I hope you'll like it. Though I will put a trigger warning on it for kidnapping.**

 **And just so you know, the main antagonist isn't any character in particular. He's just a random person and you can imagine him however it's creepiest for you.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

String Of Fate

All Ruby remembered about that night was that it was dark.

Yang had told her never to go outside at night, especially when she was by herself. There'd been some nasty things happening in the news lately, mostly to young girls like herself.

Yang had always told her that if she needed to go somewhere to wait until their parents got home and could drive her, or to call Yang and have her come along, too.

But Ruby was sixteen years old. She'd taken a few self-defense classes with her sister before, and she was the fastest runner on the high school track team. At her age, she felt she was invincible, that nothing bad would or could ever happen to her.

There was still some lingering sunlight at 8PM, especially in these summer months. Yang was at a friend's house, and her parents were still at work that evening.

She'd just wanted to make a quick trip to the convenience store.

Ruby was a confident girl, and she'd never gone for a walk alone in the evening before. She wondered what it would be like to have no one else to distract her. She wanted to listen to the chirping crickets and feel the warm air of the twilight against her skin.

Plus, nothing bad was going to happen to her tonight just because she had decided to go outside alone.

That's what she'd told herself.

She'd been walking down the sidewalks of her neighborhood, bound for the distant lights of the busy streets of town and the nearby convenience store. There were streetlights every couple dozen feet. Ruby enjoyed the experience of being out here alone, and she hummed a bit as she walked.

The orange glow from the streetlights lit her path, and she chased her rotating shadow until it was behind her.

The light ahead of her had died out.

And it was there in that small stretch of darkness when she felt a concussive blow to her head, and nothing more.

. . .

It was cold when she next woke up.

But she knew it was summertime, and it shouldn't be so cold.

Her arms were aching, her head even more so as she struggled to open her eyes.

Part of her wished she hadn't.

She found herself in a foreign room, a foreign house. There were no lights at all, only a very faint illumination coming from outside a single window.

That allowed her to notice the basic setup of the room.

There were piles of boxes strewn about, a few dressers and mounds of clothing littering the place. She discovered she herself was lying on a large, unkempt bed, and her wrists were bound together above her head at one of the posts.

It smelled like rotting food and dust, and tears had already sprung into her eyes as she pulled at her bindings. They were hard and cold, what she assumed to be handcuffs, and she writhed with every shred of strength left in her body.

She could _hear_ the keys jingling somewhere above her. They were _right there_...

She thrashed about, hoping her movements would send vibrations up the bed post and cause the keys to fall.

But every tug scratched her wrists sore, and her headache was splitting. She gave up before long and simply lay there, not knowing what more she could do.

The only good thing was that there was no one else in the room, but something told her whomever had done this to her would soon be back.

She tried desperately to keep her mouth closed, to swallow down the terrified sobs and gasps for clean air. Her heart was throbbing in terror, her body seized by numbing shudders and pangs of pain.

She could do nothing but wait for her tormentor to return.

Until then she laid there helplessly and sobbed as quietly as she could, burying her face into her shoulder to keep herself as quiet as possible. The last thing she wanted was for her captor to come back in a rage because she was being too loud.

Other than her own whimpers, it was deathly quiet.

She cried for at least an hour as she laid there helplessly, never knowing which second might be her last, fearing every breath.

It was certainly a form of torment all its own, to be left here like this.

But this might be better than for her captor to return.

Another painstaking hour dragged by, and her conscious lapsed time after time, her heart still pumping anxious adrenaline throughout her body.

She wanted to scream.

She was building herself up to just start shouting for help at the top of her lungs. She'd steeled herself enough to try it.

But just before she could gather the air to make an attempt, there was a faint clattering from across the room.

Ruby whimpered as something small rolled off one of the shelves and landed on the floor seemingly on its own. It startled her enough to hinder her plans of crying out.

It was then she heard the scratching noises from the other side of the closed door.

She clamped her mouth shut immediately, hiding her face and praying that whatever was on the other side would leave her be.

There was a distinct sound, one she recognized as the growl of an animal. Accompanying it were the unmistakable sounds of heavy footsteps.

Ruby held her breath for dear life, beyond petrified. She was frightened that her heart was pounding too loudly as the unspeakable fear crushed her with awful slowness.

Agonizing moments passed, but still she did not budge or dare draw breath.

And then movement from beyond the door.

The footsteps were moving away, the quick patter of paws following suit.

It was only when the sounds were entirely gone when Ruby allowed herself to hyperventilate little gasps into her shoulder. She was sobbing again, sniffling and choking down bile and snot and saliva.

She knew she wasn't going to make it out of this.

But it seemed there were other forces in effect, things that willed her to believe otherwise.

It was impossible to count how many chills had raked her body within the past two hour she'd been conscious. They were all violent tremors, like miniature earthquakes ripping through her from the inside out.

But it was then when a softer, gentler quiver ran through her.

It was... warmer somehow, and ultimately ceased her harsh shivering.

And suddenly she wasn't alone anymore.

 _"He's gone_..."

A voice whispered in her mind, but Ruby could tell right away these were not her own thoughts. She jolted up as much as she could manage given her current position, her eyes going wide as she gasped, looking frantically about the room.

"W-Who's there?" she whimpered, curling her legs up defensively.

Silence ensued for a few seconds.

Maybe she was just... going crazy.

But then, she heard that voice again.

 _"Right. I guess you can't see me. Pardon me, if you will."_

Ruby was tense for a moment until she felt that warmth run through her a second time. The goosebumps on her arms vanished, and her pulse slowed just a bit at the comforting presence.

And the next time she blinked, there was someone else with her here.

It was a girl cloaked all in white, a flowing white dress and wispy white hair. Only her eyes were faintly blue, and a line of pale pink traveled over her left cheek.

For a fleeting second, something seemed almost familiar about her.

But she wasn't all there.

Ruby realized she could see right through her.

She almost cried out again, but the girl reached forward to touch her lips with feather-light contact. Another wave of warmth passed over Ruby, and she relaxed, the scream dying in her throat.

 _"I'm sorry_ , _"_ the other girl murmured. _"But you need to stay quiet. He's gone, but his dog is still here. If you're too loud, that beast will run himself into the door until it opens and he'll maul you."_

Ruby looked up at the girl who stood beside the bed. She was indeed see-through, her touch almost intangible. It seemed all that confirmed her presence was her voice, her faint outline, and the warm air she produced.

Ruby couldn't think of anything else to say.

"You're... a ghost...?" she whispered.

The girl shrouded in white gave her a sad smile.

 _"I guess so. I'd prefer "spirit" though. "Ghost" sounds so... scary. I don't want to scare you."_

Ruby blinked again, every time wondering if the girl would have disappeared again when she next reopened her eyes, but she never did. She was there every time, and Ruby had to wonder why she hadn't seen her previously in these past two hours.

She was wondering a lot of things right now.

Her mouth opened and closed a few more times as she tried to think of where to start.

"Wh-Who are you? Why are you here? How do you know all these things?"

The ghost girl blinked and met Ruby's nervous eyes. Another wave of warmth traveled through Ruby, even though the girl hadn't touched her this time.

She seemed to be thinking through her answers for a moment before she replied in a soft tone.

 _"My name is Weiss Schnee,"_ she told Ruby. _"I'm here to help you. I want you to be able to return home. I don't... I don't want anyone else to end up like me..."_

It was those words that jogged Ruby's memory.

That name, "Weiss Schnee"...

She'd heard it on the news a few weeks ago.

The first girl who had been kidnapped off the streets at night.

The girl who had literally vanished without a trace.

The girl who had never come home.

And clearly never would.

Ruby felt more tears swell up and spill over.

"You... You... died...?" she rasped.

Weiss flinched slightly at the word, and the sad smile never left her lips.

 _"Yes..._ " she whispered. _"Just last week. In this very house..."_

Ruby gasped and ducked her face into her shoulder again, weeping once more.

"No... no, no, _no_ -!"

 _"It's alright,"_ Weiss soothed her, reaching forward to pass her fingers over Ruby's chest, sending her more warmth. _"I'm not going to let it happen to anyone else. That's why I'm still here. That's why I've refused to move on to the next life. Because I still have a purpose here. I'm not going to let you or anyone else die because of that horrible man."_

Slowly, Ruby lifted her head once more. Weiss was still smiling at her, but her blue eyes were determined. She meant what she was saying.

Ruby sniffled again and blinked the tears away.

"H-How...?" she asked.

The regret left Weiss' eyes then, and her gaze traveled up Ruby's arms to where they were bound.

 _"I may not be able to touch objects and move them myself. But my breath can move them."_

"Your breath..." Ruby repeated. "So before, when that thing fell off the shelf-"

 _"It was me,"_ Weiss confessed. _"I sensed you were about to scream and I was desperate to stop you. If you had, he would've gotten angry and stormed inside. I'm sorry I scared you, but it kept you quiet."_

"N-No..." Ruby mumbled. "No, thank you. You... probably saved my life..."

Weiss shifted a bit closer, hovering now beside Ruby's head.

 _"I made a vow,"_ she said. _"A promise to myself and to my family who will never see me again. A promise to stop what happened to me from happening to anyone else. And I'm not going to break that promise. It's all I have..."_ Her eyes met Ruby's again with a blossoming perseverance. _"I'm going to get you home tonight."_

Weiss slipped behind the girl, and Ruby could see that her legs and dress fused partially through the cabinet beside the bed as she moved.

Weiss saw the long nail where the single key was dangling above the human girl's head. It was awful what this man was doing to her, putting the thing that would save her right in front of her eyes but just out of reach.

She had seen the girl's struggles to shake the key off before, and Weiss realized it had done some good and moved the key a bit forward from the back of the nail. But there was still more than half the length to go.

Weiss took a deep breath, gathering it from every inch of her spirit before releasing it directly onto the key. It swayed ever so slightly, tugging itself forward an impossibly-slight distance.

It was frustrating. Weiss couldn't touch things any longer.

The first week after she'd died, she'd spent hours on end desperately grasping at objects, trying to remember what it felt like to _touch._ But she'd never made physical contact with anything ever again.

That had been how she'd discovered that her breath could move them. It really wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

She could tell she had a long way to go with this key, and she huffed out another breath.

She didn't want to say it aloud for fear of scaring the human girl, but she knew this could be their only chance. If he came back, he might not waste any time in killing this poor girl.

Weiss needed to free her before then.

Ruby lie still on the messy bed, and when she tilted her chin back she could see Weiss' faint outline. She listened to the spirit girl's breath, huffing with great effort to move the key. In between her intakes of air, Weiss spoke a bit as she refilled her lungs.

 _"What's your name?"_

"...Ruby," she replied quietly.

 _"That's a nice name. I like it."_

"Thanks."

Ruby felt strangely at ease now. Perhaps it was because she knew the kidnapper was gone for the time being, or perhaps it was because of Weiss' presence and promise to help her through this. She almost relaxed, but her mind still needed answers.

"Weiss... who is this man? Why... is he doing this...?"

Weiss blew a few more warm breaths, shifting the keys meticulously forward before she responded.

 _"I don't know his name, or why he's doing this. Some people... are just bad. Their souls are tainted. After I died, I could see his soul, and it's black and putrid. Nothing like yours. Your soul is soft and white like cream."_

Despite everything, Ruby actually smiled a little bit.

"So that must be why your spirit is pure white, Weiss. You won't even pass over. You're still staying in this world to help others. You're really kind. Like an angel."

Weiss' eyes widened a bit when she heard that word. She released another breath on the key as she repeated it in her mind.

She'd thought of her existence as many things in the week since she'd died – a ghost, a spirit, a soul – but never an angel.

She liked the sound of it.

 _"I hope I can be one..."_ Weiss murmured. _"I want to... be an angel. I hope I can be."_

"I'm sure you will," Ruby whispered.

A moment passed, and it was quiet, save for Weiss' breeze-like breaths.

Ruby wanted to talk more. It calmed her down a little.

"So... how come I couldn't see you before, but I can now? Were you here the whole time?" she wondered.

 _"Yes. I've been in this room since he brought you here. You were unconscious, and he cuffed you to the bed and then left. But I didn't want to show myself to you because I was scared you'd scream, and if you did that..."_ She trailed off, making Ruby remember what Weiss had told her earlier. The spirit girl breathed onto the keys again before continuing. _"So I waited until he left before I showed myself to you. I touched your cheek, and after I made contact, you could see me."_

Ruby nodded slowly.

"Can he see you?"

 _"No. At first, I was scared he could. I was scared that he could still hurt me even after I was dead. Maybe it's because I never got close enough to touch him, but he can't see me. But... I think his dog can sense me. I'm a spirit, so even he won't be able to touch me, but..."_

Her voice faded away, and she gave another breath to the key

. Ruby was unsettled by the way Weiss had stopped talking. She didn't want to ask, but she needed to know.

"Weiss... how... did you...?"

Weiss' breaths stopped for a moment.

 _"How did I die?"_ she guessed.

Ruby nodded again.

"Can you tell me? It's... it's fine if you don't want to. I understand."

Weiss sighed and released another warm breath,

 _"He kidnapped me a few weeks ago. I'd been coming home after walking to a friend's house, but I... never made it. He attacked me, and when I next woke up, I was in this house. But I wasn't in this room like you are. I was... downstairs..."_

She paused again and gave another breath. By now the key was halfway across the nail.

Weiss continued:

 _"There's a basement. It was really cold and wet. The floor is stone and there are no windows. I was tied to something, but I couldn't even see what it was. Everything just hurt..."_

Ruby felt her tears coming on again, and before long she was crying softly.

But she listened to Weiss' story.

She'd be the first person to know the truth.

And for Weiss, it felt good to know that someone else was listening.

 _"He kept me like for four days. He would come down the stairs once every morning and once every evening and just... look at me. He never gave me food or water, and I was too scared to ask for it. But every night, I'd hear the door open and close. He goes out at night, I'm not sure where, but he left, like he has now."_

She gave another strong blow of air and the key jumped forward a bit.

 _"On the fifth night... I was so thirsty and tired. When he went out, I started screaming. That's when..."_

Her voice wavered, and Ruby looked up to seek her face. She knew that if it was possible for Weiss to cry, she would have been now.

 _"That's when... the dog came rushing down. He knocked open the door and rushed at me, barking and drooling. He bit me again and again before he left. And when the man came back and saw, he said, 'Damn dog. You broke it. Now I have to get another one.'_ _And then he closed the door and never came back._

 _I was alive all night, and bled out for hours. It was... so slow, so cold. It hurt so, so much..._

 _And the next time I opened my eyes, I was like this. In the next few days, I figured out what I could and couldn't do in this form, and that's when I made the promise to help anyone else this man might capture."_

Ruby was crying fully again, biting her lip as she sought Weiss' eyes.

"I'm... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Weiss... I-I'm sorry no one... could save you in time. Sorry you died like that, so awfully and slowly and in so much pain. _I'm_ _sorry_..."

Another breath, and the keys rattled once more.

 _"Please don't be,_ " Weiss told her. _"None of it's your fault. My pain is over now, and it's my duty to make sure no one else feels it. I'm just sad that I... can't leave this house."_

"W...What do you mean...?"

 _"I mean just that. I've tried to leave here, but I can't. I can go through the walls separating each room, but I can't pass through to the outside world._

 _I think it's because of that promise I made, that I wouldn't pass over to the other side until I could help the others this man would torment. When he brought you in here tonight, I was scared for you, but also... it made me see that was the truth._

 _I won't leave here until I've saved every last person this man plans to hurt. And if that means I'll stay in purgatory like this forever... I'll gladly accept that fate."_

Another breath.

 _"I only wish... I could see my family one more time. Watch over my sister and my parents. Somehow let them know I'm okay. My body is still in the basement, and I just want them to be able to put me to rest and move on."_

Ruby shivered at the prospect of Weiss' body being beneath these very floorboards. A sudden flare of helpless anger rose up inside of her.

"Why..." she growled. "Why... did this have to happen?"

Weiss gave another breath, and the key was near the end of the hook now.

 _"Everything happens for a reason. That's what I've learned in these past few days. I died here so I could help you and any others who may come after you live on. I'm sorry he caught you, too. But just maybe... that happened so I could meet you."_

With her next exhale, the key had shifted to the very end of the nail. Weiss reached down to pass her fingers through Ruby's sore wrists.

Ruby felt the warmth seep through her veins, and she knew Weiss had touched her. She looked up again past the tears.

 _"This is it,_ " Weiss said. _"Are you ready?"_

Ruby sniffled again before wiping her face on her sleeve and nodding.

"Yeah."

Weiss took one last breath and blew with all her might.

The keys trembled and slipped off the hook, directly into Ruby's readily-waiting palm. She shifted quickly, sliding the key centimeter by centimeter until it was up between her left thumb and index finger. She couldn't see the keyhole for herself, but Weiss instructed her how high up or to which side to move the key.

At last, Ruby felt it slide in, and she twisted with all her might until she heard a small click. With an almighty yank, she tore her hands free from the cuffs, sitting up and panting as she clutched them to her chest.

She heard Weiss sigh in relief from beside her, and when Ruby next looked up, the ghost girl was smiling.

 _"We did it,"_ she murmured. _"You're free, Ruby. You can go home now."_

Ruby took a moment to wipe her sleeve over her face again, sniffling back more tears.

"But how...?" she choked. "Outside the room... that dog is there somewhere..." She gulped as images of the savage animal flashed through her mind, of it mangling Weiss to death.

But Weiss rested another warm hand on Ruby's shoulder, sending a feeling of reassurance through her.

 _"Don't worry. You can use the window here."_ She nodded across the room to the glass beyond the piles of boxes. _"It's locked from the inside, but you can unhinge it."_

But Ruby wasn't ready to get up just yet. She nodded to Weiss' words, but put her head in her hands, breathing raggedly as she started to tremble all over again. All of this was worse than any nightmare she'd ever experienced, but-

 _"Ruby?"_ Another gentle touch of warmth on her shoulder had the brunette looking up into hazy blue. _"I know you're scared. I'm scared for you, too. But you can't waste any time with this. Please."_

Ruby wiped her face again before she was able to nod.

It might've been worse than any nightmare, or perhaps even all of them combined-

-but at least she wasn't alone in it.

She had Weiss.

Ruby slid her legs off the bed carefully, testing the ground as not to disrupt the clutter of objects strewn about. Even when Weiss helped instruct her how to place her feet, Ruby moved with painstaking slowness; one loud sound would send that dog charging in.

With Weiss' help, she soon made it to the window sill. Ruby had to slide a few of the boxes to the sides so she may stand and be able to work on the lock properly in such limited lighting.

Weiss kept her eyes on the door, her ears open to sounds of movement. She could have phased through to the other side of the room, but she didn't want to leave Ruby for anything.

When she focused enough, she could tell the dog wasn't moving, and likely asleep.

Only Ruby's voice brought her back out of her trance.

"S-So, what do I do after this?" she whispered, reaching out toward the lock on the window.

Weiss glided up next to her, casting a longing look out the window.

 _"If you can see out there, we're in a forest. I'm not sure where, as I've never been able to leave here. And we were both unconscious when he brought us here. But we can't be far from town._

 _So the second you hit the ground out there, you run as fast as your legs can carry you, Ruby. Don't make any turns unless you absolutely must. Run in as straight a line as you can and keep to your path. If you're halfway into the woods, you're halfway out._

 _Once you reach town, you run to the first house you see and ask for help, tell them what happened and go to the police station, then tell them too. Tell them where this place is so they can stop this man from doing this to anyone else, and so... so they can find me, too."_

She smiled sadly again, but went on. _"Then, you... go back to your family and live happily with them. Live for me too, Ruby. Please have what I no longer can."_

Her words gave Ruby conviction, purpose.

Weiss was right.

Ruby wasn't just going to be living for herself any longer. She needed to live for Weiss now too, and for anyone else who no longer could hold their loved ones in their arms.

She needed to make Weiss' sacrifice worthwhile, her death meaningful, her promise fulfilled.

Ruby paused her work on the lock for a moment to meet Weiss' eyes again. She extended her left hand, making a fist except for her pinky. Voice steady, she bowed her head.

"I promise, Weiss."

She witnessed the shock on the spirit girl's face, then the hesitance as she too reached up her hand. She curled their pinky fingers together, and though there was no physical touch between them, there was something more, something spiritual and profound.

A little wave of warmth traveled through Ruby once more, and something told her it'd be the last.

" _Thank you, Ruby..."_ Weiss' voice breathed into her ears. _"I may not be able to leave this place, but I feel you've freed me. Thank you."_

She pulled her hand back, holding it to her chest with the other; she could feel Ruby's touch there, just a little.

Ruby couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

"You're a lefty too."

Weiss smiled before directing her back to task at hand.

Ruby fiddled with the old lock, rusted over by time and the elements, but after a few forceful pushes, the window came unhinged.

But not without a terribly loud sound.

Ruby cringed at the creaking the window had made, but Weiss cringed at another sound.

" _Go!_ " she cried urgently. " _The dog's heard us!_ " She gave an intangible shove to Ruby's back in a fruitless effort to push her forward.

Ruby felt the dire urgency that had suddenly exploded in the air. She scrambled up onto the dirty sill, able to hear for herself now as the dog barked repeatedly. It was a guttural, viscous sound, one that had her heart seizing all over again.

Frantically she turned back to look at Weiss.

The spirit girl was standing with her arms spread wide defensively before Ruby, her dress and long hair catching in the wind and moonlight of the night.

Weiss was so close to being free too, but she was unable to cross those last few inches to reach the outside.

But Ruby could.

Still, terrified as she was, she had to ask.

"B-But, Weiss! What'll h-happen to you?"

 _"Don't worry about me! The dog can sense me but he can't touch me anymore. Just go! Quickly, Ruby! Please!"_

That final plea was what sent Ruby jumping down over the edge just as the dog crashed into the room. She hit the ground hard, landing on her side, but the pain was nothing compared to the clashing fear and relief that coursed through her.

She scrambled to her feet, looking up the side of the house to the room where she'd been held captive just above the ground. She could only see the faint white glow of Weiss' form now, and ear-splitting sounds of enraged barking echoed throughout the forest.

Ruby knew the man that was responsible for all of this could hear those barks if he was near enough, and the urge to run filled every drop of her bloodstream.

She needed to run.

But not before she cried out to her friend, one last time.

"I'll save you, Weiss! I'll save you yet!"

She had to listen carefully past the snarls that polluted the air now, but Ruby was able to make out Weiss' response:

 _"You already have."_

Ruby took three steps back, still facing the place of both hers and Weiss' torment. As the one who lived to see another day, Ruby had a duty – she'd made a _promise_ – to help Weiss, too.

And so she turned away and dashed off just as Weiss had told her to, as quickly as her legs could carry her.

She used her champion track-record feet to propel herself forward into the shadows. She tore through the woods, darting around trees and jumping over rocks and holes, guided only by the faint moonlight and her own pumping heartbeat.

And she kept running, until her eyes caught sight of distant lights and her ears caught sound of passing cars, until her legs were numb and her throat was breathless.

She was free, and now it was time to bring Weiss home as well.

* * *

It was the day after Ruby's abduction, and the sun was high in the afternoon sky, but her family was worn and weary after a hectic, terrifying night.

Ruby had followed Weiss' instructions flawlessly, running first to the nearest house to get help. A man and woman had come to her at the door and ushered her inside as she explained everything to them.

From there, they had called her family, and Ruby had spoken to them all directly on the phone, sobbing and distraught, probably as much as they had been.

Then, the man and woman helped Ruby into their car and drove to the police station, where her own family had been all night after having reporting her missing. They'd embraced in a tearful reunion, one Ruby realized Weiss' family would never have.

She then worked with the authorities to describe to them where the house in the woods was, and where they could find Weiss' body. Ruby told them she'd seen it herself, though she was thankful she hadn't.

She warned them about the savage dog, the man himself, and everything else she could remember.

Units were dispatched immediately as Ruby was brought to the nearby hospital. They'd run all kinds of tests on her, but other than fatigue and fright, she was deemed to be alright.

The rest of the night was spent in her family's arms, mainly Yang's. Her elder sister switched between scolding Ruby for going out alone, apologizing for being unable to help her, and relieved that she had returned to them unharmed.

Ruby had never seen her parents or Yang cry so much, nor had she ever cried so hard herself.

By then, the sun had risen and the authorities had located the house in the woods. It was on every channel of the television, and Ruby had watched from the hospital lobby together with Yang.

Evidently, the man who had kidnapped her had left Ruby that night to take a third victim, a girl named Blake. She'd been attacked in the streets as well, but the police had arrived before the man could hurt her badly, or return to his house to discover Ruby was missing.

Blake had been returned to her family safely, but Ruby knew that if the police hadn't gotten to that house first, that Weiss would have helped that girl, too.

They'd subdued the dog with tranquilizers and arrested the man on the spot, swarming the house.

And Ruby had heard the most heartbreaking part of it all, how they'd gone into the basement and discovered Weiss' body. Her family had been notified, and the news channel had announced that Weiss' parents and sister had been informed about everything.

Weiss' funeral would be held in two day's time, and Ruby had immediately told her family she needed to attend. She wanted to meet Weiss' family, and tell them a lot of things.

Her parents had agreed, saying how they were certain Weiss' parents would like to thank the girl who had led them to their daughter's body so they may lay her down to rest.

By midday, Ruby and her family had been permitted to return home from the hospital.

They had done so gratefully, driven home, and Ruby had shared more hugs with her mother and father before they headed up the stairs to bed.

Yang had stayed with her little sister a moment longer, wrapping Ruby in her arms and declaring she'd never let her go again. She'd taken Ruby to her room with her, pulled her sister in to her chest and covered her with warm, soft blankets, kissing her forehead and humming her old lullabies until Ruby had fallen asleep in her arms.

* * *

On the day of Weiss' wake, Ruby had dressed in all black, save for a few red roses in her hair.

Her family attended as well, and through the solemn crowds of people, Ruby had easily spotted the people she'd sought.

She'd learned Weiss' sister's name was Winter, and she'd spoken to her and her parents. T

hey'd marveled at the girl who'd survived what their daughter had not. And they'd thanked her for bringing Weiss home to them at long last.

Ruby couldn't tell them everything, but she'd told them that the entire time she'd been in that house, that she hadn't been alone.

She'd told them she'd sensed another presence, and believed it to be Weiss'.

She'd told them that was the thing that pushed her to get out alive.

And it was all the truth.

They'd embraced her, wept softly, and thanked her again.

The second survivor – Blake – had also attended the funeral. She too, had Weiss to thank for her rescue; had Weiss' sacrifice not fueled Ruby to escape, Blake never would have been spared, either.

Ruby shared many words with Blake, away from prying ears. Blake asked her about what she'd endured, and Ruby told her, seeing the fear in Blake's eyes, and the gratitude that she'd managed to avoid such horrors.

More thoughts of Weiss had been what brought Ruby to tears again, and she'd hugged Blake softly, something the other girl wasn't opposed to at all. She had held Ruby for a moment, until Yang had reached them.

That was when Blake had started crying too, in the arms of total strangers.

But Yang and Ruby had held her until the tears had stopped.

Then, the three of them had approached Weiss' closed casket together.

They'd each held a single white rose, and placed them down on the blue sheets beneath the casket, bowing their heads and murmuring prayers of grief and gratitude.

And all the while as Ruby prayed, she felt a tingling warmth on her left pinky finger.

When the three of them had finished their prayers and reopened their watery eyes, she knew she'd heard it for certain, Weiss' gentle voice:

 _"Thank you..."_

And even at the funeral, as they'd all stood and watched her coffin being lowered into the green earth, Ruby still heard those words, over and over again:

 _"Thank you..."_

* * *

Presently, Ruby had returned home with her family, still dressed from the funeral.

Her parents stayed downstairs to prepare a meal while Yang had retreated to the shower.

Ruby climbed the stairs and headed to her room, opening the familiar door slowly.

It was her room, and yet it seemed so foreign to her somehow. After sleeping in Yang's room last night, Ruby realized she hadn't been in here for two days now.

Everything was just how she'd left it the night she'd been abducted, and it made her a little uneasy, but only for a moment. It was scary to think she'd almost died in a few small minutes, and never would have seen her room of sixteen long years again.

There was late afternoon sunlight streaming through the windows, and Ruby quietly made her way to her bed.

She was still in her mourning clothes, and wished to remain that way for the rest of the day to show respect to Weiss.

She sat down on the edge of her mattress and looked hazily to the window before her. She reached up and carefully removed the red rose from her hair, along with a small white one she'd tucked in alongside it during the funeral.

She cupped them in her palms, realizing there were two warm trails of tears running down her cheeks, dripping onto the velvety petals.

Her voice was nothing more than a whisper now.

"I hope she's passed on..."

Ruby brought the roses to her nose and inhaled their scent before placing them aside on her bedside table. She laid down on her back, eyes going to the white ceiling.

She didn't wipe her eyes this time, instead choosing to let the tears dry naturally.

Lifting her left arm upward, she stared at her fingers, her gaze ultimately resting on her pinky.

It still felt a little warm.

Ruby closed her eyes and simply breathed for a few moments, her thoughts only of Weiss.

And then a voice.

 _"Ruby...?"_

It was female, but it wasn't her mother or her sister.

A fresh little wave of warmth traveled through her hand, trickling down her arm and settling around her heart.

Slowly, she blinked her eyes open.

A familiar, see-through face looked back at her.

"W-Weiss?!"

She couldn't help but cry out as she sat up quickly, all the while her eyes never leaving those bluish pools.

 _"It seems I've found you again,"_ Weiss smiled.

Ruby noticed the girl's hand was outstretched toward her own, their pinkies curled together once again.

Ruby felt a fresh swell of tears rise up and spill over.

Weiss glided beside her and sat on the bed, staying close.

 _"Now, now. Why are you making such a scene? Haven't you done enough crying these past few days?"_

Ruby hiccuped, trying to keep her voice down as she wiped her sleeve over her face, blinking quickly to make sure this wasn't just all in her head.

"Weiss..." she whispered. "Weiss, you... you got out? You left that house?"

 _"I did,"_ she confirmed. _"And it's all thanks to you."_

"M... Me?"

 _"Yes. Once that man was arrested, I found I could leave the house at last. You weren't imagining my voice in your head at my funeral. I was there. I stayed by my body and found my parents and sister again. I hugged them all and thanked them and told them I loved them, and though they couldn't hear or see me, I knew they felt my presence. They are all at peace now, because you led them to me."_

Ruby swallowed and wiped her eyes yet again.

"You... You said you hugged them... but they couldn't see you? How? I thought that once you willingly made contact with someone, they could see you. Isn't that what happened with me?"

 _"Yes. But I wanted you to see me, so I could help you and so you wouldn't be frightened. But for them... I didn't want them to see me. I feared it would only bring them pain to be able to see and hear me, but never again touch me. But they felt my presence, and that was enough."_

Her blue eyes were ridden with sadness, but it wasn't bitter – simply sad.

Ruby felt she understood Weiss' decisions.

"But then... why are you still here?" she wondered. "Shouldn't you have passed on once you were laid to rest?"

 _"I thought as much as well,"_ Weiss replied, lifting her gaze to Ruby's once more. _"And I was wondering why that wasn't the case. I was lost in my thoughts for a time, and my spirit drifted on its own until... I found myself here."_

She gave a small smile to Ruby, confused but also accepting of it all.

But Ruby couldn't make sense of it yet.

"Here... but why?"

Weiss moved a bit closer to her on the bed.

 _"Isn't it obvious?"_ she asked. _"Because of this."_ She flashed her eyes down to their hands, their entwined pinky fingers. _"It's because of that promise I made to myself. To help you. It seems... that didn't only mean helping you escape from that house. I think I'm... supposed to keep helping you, for a long time yet."_

Ruby blinked, but the pieces started falling into place, and her silver eyes sparked with clarity.

"You mean... like for the rest of my life?" she guessed. "So you can only pass on after I'm dead, too?"

 _"Isn't that a nice thought, though?"_ Weiss proposed. _"Neither of us will have to go alone. And it's not something we'll have to worry about for a very long time yet. I'm here with you now to ensure you live the longest, happiest life possible, Ruby."_

Ruby felt the smile trying to work its way onto her lips. But still, she was forced to keep it away.

"But... But you'll have to wait for so long..."

Weiss only continued to smile at her.

 _"What's the rush? I didn't have much time on earth anyway when I was alive, so what better way to spend it now than by your side? Besides, when you're like me, you'll find that "time" really isn't something worthy of concern,"_ she shrugged.

Weiss lifted her hand up, and Ruby gasped when she realized her own hand was being lifted as well.

Weiss didn't phase through her anymore.

"H-How-?" she whispered.

 _"I think it's because of our vow,"_ Weiss explained. _"When we made that pinky promise... it was like the strings of fate connected us by our fingers. I don't phase through you anymore because our souls have bonded closer together. You can hear me. See me. And now..."_

"I can..."

Ruby trailed off, awestruck as she slowly lifted her arms up around Weiss' back.

She was only a wispy outline of blue and white, but when Ruby pulled her in, she could _touch_ her.

She could feel the fabrics of Weiss' dress, the silk that was her hair.

There was a small weight that pressed against her chest, light as it was, and arms that could wrap around her shoulders.

There was a warmth in Weiss' embrace that didn't exist in any mortal one.

Ruby found herself weeping softly over the spirit girl's shoulder.

"S-So you're... you're gonna... stay with me?"

 _"Yes,"_ Weiss breathed. _"I'll be staying with you for as long as you'll need me, Ruby."_

The human girl shuddered and clung tighter to Weiss.

"Good..." she hiccuped. "Th-That's good. Cause Weiss, I... I didn't want you to leave me, and I never will. I want you to always be by my side."

 _"And I will be,"_ she promised. _"Even after you've fallen in love, married and had children, I'll still be with you, watching over you._

 _This bond is something stronger than love, Ruby. Something words can't explain. I'll be here for you until the end of your time on this earth. And of course, that will be a very, very long time yet. This is only the beginning."_

She slipped away from Ruby's embrace, just enough to find her eyes. Now, Weiss could reach up and wipe her tears for her, voice tender as she leaned her forehead against Ruby's.

 _"I'll be here until the end, Ruby. It's a promise."_

"Yeah..." Ruby nodded, sighing softly. "That's a nice thought. Until the end..." She squeezed Weiss a little bit tighter. "You know what that means, don't you?"

Weiss gave her a curious look.

 _"What's that?"_

Ruby hugged her again, even tighter and without hesitation this time.

"You're my guardian angel, Weiss!"

Weiss' eyes grew wide.

 _"Guardian... angel?"_

Again, she'd thought of herself as many things since she'd lost her body.

An entity, a poltergeist, a ghost...

And then Ruby had come along and called her a spirit.

But now...

Weiss smiled again, and it was truly heartfelt.

 _"Yes. I guess I am, aren't I? Your guardian angel."_

"You'll be my best friend, too!" Ruby declared. "I'll tell you all my secrets and stuff! And we can have little sleepovers every night, play games together. You can tell me about your life, too."

 _"Yes..."_ Weiss nodded. _"That sounds really nice. I'm so glad I met you, Ruby."_

"I'm really glad I met you too, Weiss." She hugged her again before sitting back. "And... I don't think I ever really said it before, but thank you. For saving my life, and for staying with me... and now for making this promise. Thank you, Weiss."

 _"I should be thanking you as well. For giving me another chance to live, even if it is a bit vicarious. Thank you, Ruby."_

Ruby nodded, wiping her eyes one last time before leaning forward. Her lips tingled with warmth as they pressed against Weiss' faint cheek.

Weiss was still for a moment before she returned the gesture, feeling the solidity of Ruby's skin against her lips.

It was a shared message between them both:

 _"You're welcome."_

They each pulled back and smiled again, eyes shining and eager for the future to come, everything it held that they would face together.

They hugged once more, breathing as one, their souls resonating with one another's in ways that no one else's ever could, bound together by fate, and the invisible string connecting them by the fingers.

* * *

 **A/N: I really liked how different this story is, but I'm hesitant to continue it. I think it's best left off just as it is right here.**

 **You can imagine your own story from here. Will Ruby grow up and fall in love with another person? Or will she simply abstain from the material world and give her heart to Weiss alone? I think there's plenty to be imagined from here, but I don't think I could do it all justice. It's a very precarious story.**

 **I hope you could enjoy this little story of mine!**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on as Kiria Alice.**

 **Please review!**


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